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Simplifying processes with ice cream ingredients feeder
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Saturday, 15 September, 2012, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Phil Darvell
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fiogf49gjkf0d ROKK Processing, the award-winning manufacturer of high-end ice cream machinery, has expanded its range of aspirational ice cream machinery with the addition of a new, durable and highly efficient ingredient feeder, the RIF 1500. In this new machine, ROKK is striving to emulate and surpass current quality expectations by keeping it simple and going back to basics.
Technology is always developing at a pace but back in the mid to late 2000s gadgets especially had a major revival, bringing smaller, quicker technology to the lives of millions around the planet. Some, probably most notably the iPhone, changed people's lives in a positive, fun and easy manner and is today as strong and popular as it was the day it was launched. Others, however, perhaps, due to the reduced costs bought on as a result of it being available on a mass production scale, seemed to use new technology for the sake of it which, in many cases, had an adverse effect; subsequently over complicating and impeding the very tasks they were meant to help complete.
Hybrid machines
The craze for new technology was so formidable that hybrid machines and products started to appear in almost every industry. From laser-guided scissors to electric carving knives you name it, if the product and technology had even the slightest association with one another you could guarantee that it would not be long before it reached the shelves. Unfortunately, although probably to a lesser degree than many, the ice cream machinery sector also fell foul as it tried to feed the emerging appetite for technology by manufacturing hugely complicated machines that would not have looked too out of place at NASA.
Incorporated for the right reasons, new technology can of course change the fortunes of a business for the better. Unfortunately, the new ice cream machines of the time did little, if anything, to enhance the end product or how it got there - rather just over-complicating the way in which the machine was operated and as such leaving the door wide open for more components to go wrong and need replacing.
For the majority, the craze for the overtly complex has now thankfully passed, returning us to a time when ice cream manufacturers just want to be able to make ice cream and for their machines to work, and work well. ROKK's slogan 'Simple, Solid, Dependable' wholly depicts our attitude as well as this return of mentality and our latest machine, the new RIF 1500 ingredient feeder, also reflects these values; I'll explain why.
Dependable machine
The RIF 1500 is a robust and highly dependable machine which is host to a number of innovative yet simple elements that seamlessly combine to avoid downtime, free-up operator time and ensure that the ingredients are handled with care and uniformly fed into a continual flow of ice cream.
There are many different ingredients that need to come together to create a great ice cream so, treating each with the utmost respect is essential if the end product is going to reach the desired levels of quality. The RIF 1500 has been manufactured to do just this and utilises a lamella pumping system that won't squeeze or apply unnecessary pressure to the inclusion ingredients, rather allowing for the clusters - such as chocolate, toffee, sweets, candy, fruit and jam - to maintain shape, flavour and be gently and consistently added. What's more, the inlet of the pump is also always open to avoid the common problem of sticky products bridging and blocking the machine, consequently shutting down the production line until it is cleared.
Simple, but effective
Simple, but very effective, and the use of this type of pump alone is capable of freeing copious amounts of operator time. If a machine has a tendency to block then it clearly needs to be manned every time it is used - a situation that is obviously desirable to avoid at all costs. The RIF 1500, on the other hand, has been innovatively manufactured to the highest specification to avoid such a situation becoming a negative necessity.
It also comes readily supplied with two feed augers which are machined to different pitches to ideally suit the size of the supplementary ingredients being added and guarantee a steady, controlled feed into the machines ice cream flow - of which it has a large maximum capacity of 1,500 litres per hour.
Just load'n'forget
As a result, the machine can simply be loaded with the chosen ingredients and left to do its job, leaving operators not only safe in the knowledge that the end product will match all their requirements exactly, but also with more free time to spend elsewhere in the factory. To ensure that operators do not have to return to the machine more than every 10 minutes or so, the RIF 1500 is also fitted with a large 30 litre hopper which is capable of dispensing up to 200 kg per hour.
The butterfly effect from the use of these components simply starts with freeing up operator time but, the ripples can be seen right through to an increase in the bottom line profits of the entire business. The increase may be relatively small but if every machine freed a 'little' time then cumulatively, it could easily turn into something quite significant.
A further, non-tangible but highly beneficial result of this is the creation of a diverse working environment. With more time employees would be in a position to expand their own knowledge and experience within the factory which can be a hugely important element in creating a happy, motivated workforce. Together, under such circumstances, manufacturers would not necessarily have to expand the workforce to expand production volumes.
Fully adjustable
Despite all of the aforementioned positives, one thing that may worry a few manufacturers is the level of control that they would possess if the machine is as 'simple' as we say it is and does not have all the flashing, multi-coloured operating systems. Well worry not, we are not here to lessen control rather just make it an easier process. The RIF 1500 is fully adjustable and has three internal variable speed motors that independently control the auger, pump and blender. This, coupled with an easy to use electrical control panel, manufacturers can simply and accurately manage the entire process from beginning to end.
This should give an idea behind the ROKK trail of thought and the principles that it works to. But, that's not all that ROKK offers.
Many will look at a machine and make a buying decision based on the financial commitments alone. Although it's not always the case, buying based on price can lure people into a false economy. Cheaper machines are likely to be more prone to breakdowns, which then costs in terms of both getting the machine fixed but also in terms of the rest of the production line slowing down, if not ceasing all together. What's more, employee pay doesn't stop when a machine does.
Quality
However, notwithstanding the potential reliability issues, what's probably more important is the quality of the end product. Recent white papers from the UK have revealed that the SME ice cream manufacturer should offer premium or super-premium ice cream to have the best chance of infiltrating the market and getting a decent share of the multi-billion pound profits. However, in a market that is almost monopolised by two key players, which between them account for around 70 per cent of the entire UK market, it is not easy and it will eventually, if not immediately, become much harder with second rate machinery. I'd imagine that with slight variants this is an applicable situation on a global scale an
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